Borough manager resigns, supports Deach as replacement
By Gretchen Wehmhoff
Borough Manager Brad Ryan submitted his resignation to the Skagway Assembly on Sept. 27. His last day will be in the beginning of January 2025.
Ryan accepted the Skagway borough manager position in 2019, starting his tenure on Sept. 1 for a threeyear contract.
Ryan took over for then interim manager, Stan Selmer who had taken over for interim manager Tom Healy in 2019. Prior to Healy, Scott Hahn had the permanent position until he left for a position in Rifle,Colorado in the summer of 2018.
Current Deputy Borough Manager Emily Deach and treasurer Heather Rodig worked together to fill in the empty positions. Deach took on the part-time challenge three times while maintaining her job as then borough clerk. Deach has expressed interest in the position.
Skagway Borough Code allows for the assembly to appoint a new manager without formal advertising or a minimum of candidate applicants, although some of those methods such as in person interviews and search committees have been used in the past decade. Ryan was in a final group of six applicants in 2019.
Prior to arriving in Skagway, Ryan was often the interim city manager in Haines. Coming to Skagway was timely.
Within six months of arriving, the COViD 19 pandemic threw the cruise industry,
Fire destroys Haines convenience store
‘I
feel like I’m losing part of my life here’
By Rashah McChesney Chilkat Valley News
A small crowd gathered Saturday night watching as a fire ate through the building that houses Haines’ Quick Shop, Outfitter Liquor, Outfitter Sporting Goods, Mike’s Bikes & Boards, and four apartments.
No one reported any injuries and, at first, it seemed as though Haines Volunteer Firefighters were going to be able to contain flames.
But as the fire got larger and more involved, the crowd swelled. Dozens sat in the small boat harbor parking lot or along Main Street, watching as the fire grew massive and the building started to collapse in on itself.
The trouble started just before 9:30 p.m. while Dan Mahoney was working at the front counter of the con-
venience store when a man living in an apartment above the shops came downstairs to alert him about a fire.
[I] smelled smoke right after,” he said.
Mahoney said he called 911 and then his boss Mike Ward, though he had some trouble getting through to the latter.
“I was out sleeping,” said Ward as he paced up and down the sidewalk watching his businesses burn late Saturday. “I hauled a**””
This isn’t the first time the building has caught fire. Ward said it also burned in 1994, but that fire was relatively small and he was only closed for a few hours at that time.
Ward said he has insurance.
“I have good insurance. I’ve got business interrupt insurance - if I shut down I’ll
get money,” he said.” “I’ve never had to use it. But it looks like I’m going to have to this time. “
But even with insurance, Ward said sometimes things are hard to replace.
“On the drive to town, I was thinking about my inventory file,” he said. “I don’t keep a backup off site.”
That could make it tricky to account for everything for insurance purposes.
“I’ve got a million dollars in inventory there,” he said. “I wasn’t ready for this. I feel like I’m losing part of my life here.”
In addition to Ward’s business losses, there were two families and two men liv-
(see
HainesVolunteer Firefighters battle the fire consuming Mike Ward’s four businesses and apartments on Oct. 5.
Photo by Rashah McChesney of the Chilkat Valley News
Smoke billows from abuiling housing four businesses and four apartments as Haines Volunteer Firefighters respond.
Photo by Rashah McChesney of the Chilkat Valley News
Page 2
The Skagway News. Skagway’s First Newspaper Christened in 1897, buried alive in 1904 and resurrected in 1978, The Skagway News is currently celebrating 47 years of reporting in Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, recording our Centennial years and beyond.
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October 1 election results
OCTOBER 1, 2024 - CERTIFIED ELECTION RESULTS
BOROUGH ASSEMBLY
Burnham, Jay L. 196
Hillis, Jonathan 205
Potter, Deb 262
Official Write-In: Lockette II, William F. 13
Other Write-In 8
SCHOOL BOARD
Thole, Cory 317
Official Write-In: MacPherson, Chad 137
Other Write-In 33
PROPOSITION 1
Approve 322 Not Approve 49
The Borough Assembly certified the election results at its meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3.
October 11, 2024
Ryan steps down as manager
(from Front page)
Skagway and the world into a spiral. Coming out of the pandemic, Ryan negotiated completion of the end of a 55-year lease with White Pass & Yukon Route. On the tail of the lease was an angry cliff prone to slides above the Railroad Dock. He worked through the future of Dahl Memorial Clinic and a $65 million bond to update Ore dock and the marine services area. Of course, the new floating Ore dock literally fell apart on the way to Skagway, but Ryan also
Students of the month for September
Character word of the month - Kindness
Krishna Wadhwani- Elementary, 5th Grade
Gia Parbhu- Junior High, 7th Grade
Ezekiel Coughran- High School, 11th Grade
The Skagway News attempts to note corrections. Please email editor@skagwaynews.com.
managed to work with parties to get the dock to Skagway a week before the first ship was to tie up. And that was only the last five years.
“Manager Ryan led Skagway through two potentially catastrophic events but, in my opinion, his greatest accomplishments were modernizing local government and maximizing staff morale while maintaining the highest ethical standards,” said former mayor, Andrew Cremata.
The order of replacing Ryan will be on the next assembly agenda and will most likely discuss reviewing the job description and salary, which has not been updated in years.
In his letter to the assembly Ryan supported Deach as the next borough manager.
“I am in full support of Emily Deach assuming the manager position. She is more than qualified,” said Ryan in an email.
Assemblymember Orion Hanson agrees.
“We certainly know who Emily is, as in her capability. She’s been quietly running our government for a long time, with tremendous intelligence and objectivity. Just her ability to negotiate all the different paths of government - it’s always impressed me,” Hanson said.
He believes that Deach’s familiarity with the staff and City Hall will work well with employee morale and productivity.
Of course, it is still up to the assembly to make the decision.
Ryan has taken a position with the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. He starts in early January.
Skagway Borough Manager Brad Ryan and new Southeast Conference President Kaitlyn Jared from Skagway accept the the award for Community of the Year on behalf of Skagway. September 2023. (Photo by Jaime Bricker)
Haines businessman watches building go up in flames, investigation continues
(from Front page) ing in apartments above the shops.
By all reports at the scene of the fire, they all got out safely – but it’s not clear how much warning they had or what they were able to get out of their homes.
Haines police officer Michael Fullerton was off-duty but called in to help out with the fire. He spent his time reminding onlookers to keep back far enough from the flames to avoid potential injury. In addition to the toxic smoke billowing off of the building, there was a very real potential for an explosion given the fire’s proximity to a several hundred gallon diesel tank and the volume of ammunition inside of the sports shop. He said he was told that all tenants had been accounted for and were being helped by the Salvation Army.
“Local resources have already been secured for the evening as far as putting people who are displaced like in hotels,” Fullerton said.
He praised firefighters for making “extraordinary efforts to secure and save the building.” As he spoke, a call went out for help from the Klehini Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Mosquito Lake some half an hour away.
“The whole valley will assist when necessary,” he said. “It’s unusual. I’ve never, in my nine years of being
here, been aware that there has been a situation like that to require that kind of assistance.”
Fullerton said investigators would be digging into what happened to spark the fire.
“We’ll be investigating this fire until we’re satisfied that this is a normal fire,” he said. “Until we’re certain of that.”
(Left) Haines Volunteer fighterfighters direct their hose while battlin Satureday’s fire. (Above) Haines residents gather as the destroyed the building.
Photo by Rashah McChesney of the Chilkat Valley News
Photo by Rashah McChesney of the Chilkat Valley News
Dozens of fish died near Alaska mine; months later, regulators haven’t determined what killed them
State fish scientists say the circumstances of the fish kill suggest that it stems from a water quality problem, but regulators say they’re still waiting for data from the Kensington gold mine’s operator
By Max Graham
The Northern Journal
On the morning of Aug. 9, state biologists discovered dozens of dead fish in a creek near the Kensington gold mine in Southeast Alaska.
Scientists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game say their observations — and the fact that the dieoff occurred downstream of a wastewater treatment plant at the large mine — suggest that the event stemmed from a water quality problem. Mine workers also used an unapproved explosive at Kensington a day before the dead fish were found, according to federal officials.
But nearly two months later, state regulators at the Department of Environmental Conservation say they still haven’t determined what killed the fish, including Dolly Varden char, a small freshwater species called slimy sculpin, and one pink salmon.
DEC, which regulates mining wastewater and investigates chemical spills, is still waiting for water quality data from the mine’s operator, according to Gene McCabe, the director of the agency’s water division.
“Of course, everybody involved has hunches,” McCabe said. “They have thoughts. They have likely causes. But none of that is substantiated yet.”
Coeur, the multinational company that operates Kensington Mine about 40 miles north of Juneau, is “still awaiting results from multiple independent laboratories with varying timelines,” company spokesperson Rochelle Lindley said in an email this week.
She would not say exactly when Coeur expects to receive results from the different labs.
Tribal governments and other observers in the area of the mine, meanwhile, say that they’ve received little
information from state regulators.
A few days after the incident, the U.S. Forest Service, a federal agency that manages the land around Kensington, notified leaders of the region’s largest tribal government, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The agency also, a few days later, provided them with some preliminary information, according to Jill Weitz, who works in government affairs for Tlingit and Haida.
While Weitz said she appreciated the federal notification, she has been frustrated by what she described as a lack of communication from state agencies. Officials from Chilkoot Indian Association, another tribal government in the area, also said the state did not formally alert them to the spill.
It’s the second time this year that tribal officials have raised concerns about their access to information after an incident in the vicinity of Kensington.
In March, Tlingit and Haida’s president, Richard Peterson, urged state and federal regulators to improve communication after the tribe was not notified — for a month — about a January tailings spill at the mine, which appears to be unrelated to the August fish kill.
“The lack of timely communication and transparency in such matters undermines our ability to effectively respond and protect our tribal citizens and ancestral lands,” Peterson wrote.
The idea that the state hasn’t kept local tribes apprised is “problematic,” said state Sen. Jesse Kiehl, a Democrat from Juneau — though he added that state agencies have provided information to his own office. He also applauded Coeur for being the first to notify him and for being responsive to questions.
The biologists from the Department of Fish and
Game discovered the dead fish during a routine salmon survey in Sherman Creek, which flows into the Inside Passage between Juneau and the towns of Haines and Skagway to the north.
Coeur discharges treated mine water directly into Sherman Creek, at a point above where the fish appear to have died. Other Dolly Varden were found alive above the mine’s discharge, the biologists wrote in a Sept. 6 report.
Kensington mine’s wastewater discharge into Sherman Creek. (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Of the dead fish the scientists collected, there was “no obvious body composition or cloudiness in the eyes, suggesting recent death,” wrote one of them, Erika King. They also saw hemorrhaging on multiple Dolly Varden.
Immediately, King wrote, the biologists notified a Coeur official and asked the company to take water samples. The official reported no unusual operations at the water treatment plant, and company staff collected more dead fish samples.
The circumstances — multiple species of fish dead below the treatment plant outfall and none dead above — “strongly suggest water quality or toxic issues delivered by the treatment plant effluent,” according to a state pathologist, Ted Meyers, whose findings are appended to King’s report. Meyers ruled out infection as the cause of death.
The department’s lab work did not involve water quality or fish tissue testing for toxic chemicals, according to Department of Fish and Game spokesman Joe Felkl.
Whatever killed the fish appeared to be a short, isolated episode, Coeur and state biologists said.
In August, Lindley, from Coeur, told Northern Journal that the company immediately notified regulators when the fish were discovered,
coordinated with agencies to send samples to third-party labs for testing and was continuing to monitor the stream.
McCabe, from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said it’s standard practice across the state for mining companies to collect and self-report water quality data. Their monitoring and testing plans must be approved by state regulators, he added.
“All routine water quality testing has been within permit parameters,” Lindley said in an August email.
Coeur did not respond to follow-up questions this week about an unapproved explosive that was reportedly used underground at Kensington on Aug. 8, the day before the biologists’ discovery. The explosive was noted in an August email from the Forest Service to tribal officials.
A Forest Service spokesperson this week referred requests for information to Coeur.
McCabe said the agency did not have enough information to say whether use of the explosive could be tied to the dead fish.
“At this point, without any water quality data, it’s pure speculation,” McCabe said. “We want to avoid speculating about any potential link or cause until we have some data to evaluate.”
Northern Journal contributor Max Graham can be reached at max@northernjournal.com. He’s interested in any and all mining related stories, as well as introductory meetings with people in and around the industry. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Nathaniel Herz. Subscribe at this link.
An aerial view of part of Southeast Alaska’s Kensington gold mine. (Photo by James Brooks)
One of the dead fish, a Dolly Varden, discovered by state biologists near a Juneau area gold mine in August. The biologists noted hemorrhaging near the head. (Alaska Department of Fish and Game photo)
Paw Prints
By Katherine Moseley
By Katherine Moseley
We recently welcomed a new dog into our home. A young pup that we named Tilly. According to her DNA test she is 21.1% Supermutt, 21% Australian Cattle Dog, 18.1% Labrador Retriever, 12.7% Alaskan Malemute, 9.3% Poodle (small), 7.5% German Shepherd Dog, 6.8% Cocker Spaniel and 3.5% American Pit Bull Terrier. We joke that she is our first doodle.
After many years of having multiple dogs and sometimes an extra foster dog, we had decided that we were content with the ease of having just 2 dogs. All summer, the millions of homeless pets without millions of good homes waiting for them, has really been tugging at my heart strings. So, I started pondering if we had room for one more. We haven’t had any dogs at our local animal shelter, Paws & Claws, for a while. So, I found myself scrolling through other animal shelter’s Facebook pages.
When I saw pictures of Tilly wearing a hat and sleeping next to a cat, I was hooked. We have four cats so having a cat friendly dog is important to us.
We adopted Tilly through the Mutt Mansion Sanctuary in Tagish. She was being fostered in Whitehorse by a young lady who took her to Farmer’s Markets, introduced her to cats and did an excellent job teaching her leash skills. We are still getting to know Tilly. Dogs are born with a temperament unique to them, but their personalities are shaped through environment and experiences. Thus far, she is fitting in nicely and our other dogs have been patient teachers. My top tip for having harmony in a multiple dog home is to make sure that you spend some one-on-one time with each dog. Doing this every day may not be possible, but even a few times a week helps. Every dog has individual needs and spending solo time with them helps those needs
to be met. Focusing on one dog at a time during a training session can help make training more successful. I admit that I sometimes feel guilty leaving a dog behind, but then I remember each dog will get their turn. Separate leash walks or taking one dog on a car ride to run errands are just a couple examples of how to do this. Taking time with each one of your dogs individually will deepen the connection and emotional bond that you share with your them. Adopting Tilly may seem like a small thing when animal rescue is like emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. But little things can and do add up.
SE author, professor recipient of arts and humanities award
(JUNEAU) - Dr. X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Professor of Alaska Native Languages in the Department of Humanities at University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), is among nine recipients of the 2024 Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities. The Awards will be presented on Oct. 29, 2024, at an event held at the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards is an an-
nual partnership between the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation, and the Office of the Governor to recognize and honor noteworthy contributions to the arts and humanities in Alaska. Each year, these partners select awardees in several distinct categories, based on nominations submitted by the public.
The Alaska Native Arts
Award recognizes individuals and organizations that successfully advance Alaska Native language or culture through their work and significantly improve the preservation, perpetuation, and active practice of Alaska Native arts.
“ Twitchell is a dedicated and passionate advocate for the preservation and revitalization of Alaska Native languages, particularly the Lingít language. Serving as chair of the Council for Alaska Native Languages, Twitchell emphasizes the importance of including traditional ways, values, and worldviews in language learning, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures. Twitchell’s work recording, transcribing, and presenting the words of tribal Elders ensures their wisdom is preserved for future generations,” a UAS spokesperson wrote.
Earlier this year, Twitchell published a book of poetry entitled G̱agaan X̱ʼusyee / Below the Foot of the Sun (University of Alaska Press, 2024). The collection of 46 poems features some in English, some in Lingít, and some that combine the two
languages. In addition to his work as a language teacher, preservationist, and poet Twitchell is also an accomplished visual artist.
Photo by Katherine Moseley
Skeeter, Tilly, Ivy and Milo
Photo by Katherine Moseley
Tilly
Photo provided by University of Alaska Southeast
Dr. X̱’unei Lance Twitchell
Local group comes together to tackle year-round trauma
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and purple is the color for the Domestic Violence Awareness ribbon.
Purple also brings highlighted attention to pancreatic cancer, lupus, thyroid cancer, epilepsy, military kids, Spirit Day and victims of homophobia. There is no shortage of plights in which to invest your time talents and energy locally. In June we frequently have a cancer walk-a-thon. Pride month has exploded in Skagway, bringing attention to and support for the LGBTQ world. Fundraisers for those battling cancer occur multiple times a year in our fair community.
What don’t we do? We don’t have a dance, a BBQ, or a 50/50 raffle for our neighbor that is being abused by their spouse. No one donates a parlor car or helicopter ride to help a rape victim trying to make ends meet when their situation has resulted in missing a significant amount of work. We are trying to change that.
The Kitchen Sink Thrift Shop was enveloped into the Good Neighbor Volunteer nonprofit this last year. As a thrift shop, we are now able to offer the community a resource for reducing, reusing and recycling clothing and household goods. This allows us to offer affordably priced apparel, kitchenware and the like in our little valley. Our proceeds, beyond what it takes to maintain the shop and its infrastructure, are being directed to develop domestic violence resources for Skagway.
Advocates for ending and healing from domestic violence are forming a group to look at what Skagway has, and what the city needs in order to deal with this very sensitive topic in a way that brings transparency to the solutions while respecting the confidentiality of those dealing with abuse and assault. By growing our existing contacts such as Kira Lathrop of Dahl Memorial Clinic and John Hischer at Taiya Counseling, we hope to spotlight as many avenues as it takes for people to deal with this trauma and find peace in their lives. The Skagway Police Department and the Alaska Court System are common places to get started with this type of situation. Other choices exist. With their shelter and main offices based in Juneau, AWARE, is the cornerstone for Stronger, Safer Relationships throughout Southeast Alaska. Located in the land of the Áak’w Kwáan, they provide services to Elfin Cove, Gustavus, Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, Klukwan, Pelican, Skagway, Tenakee, Yakutat, and beyond.
Local police reports may not point to a significant problem, but statistics do not lie. Our low numbers are more likely indicative of how few attacks are reported, regardless of prosecution, which is even less.
There is a myriad of statistics out there. Many of the generic posters display One in Four. The National Domestic Hotline reports, “Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.” In Alaska, those numbers are worse.
Two (2) out of three (3).
The 2020 Alaska Victimization Survey reported 2 out of 3 women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. The report defines sexual violence as an attempted or completed sexual act toward or upon a person who has not freely given consent or is unable to consent or refuse. If
it hasn’t happened to you, think about it. When you sit down to dinner with your siblings and your parents, your grandparents, statistically, two of the three women at that table will deal with this at some time in their lifetimes if it hasn’t already occurred. Considering the number of encounters that go unreported, we should all be alarmed and ready to act.
We are starting on the ground floor with aware-
ness. Why? We want our community to know that we care. We want our community to know that are resources to help them. We want our community to know that this behavior is not acceptable. We want our kids to know what healthy relationships look like and what unhealthy relationships look like. We want to recognize the signs and be able to offer assistance. We want to be better neighbors. We want to see an end to domestic violence.
The National domestic Violence Hotline has established a Hotline: www.thehotline.org or Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
They list the following as signs of partner abuse:
• Telling you that you never do anything right.
• Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or time spend away from them.
• Preventing or discouraging you from spending time with others, particularly friends, family members, or peers.
• Insulting, demeaning or shaming you, especially in front of others.
• Preventing you from making your own decisions, including about working or attending school.
• Controlling finances in the household without discussion, such as taking your money or refusing to provide money for necessary expenses.
• Pressuring you to have sex or perform sexual acts you’re not comfortable with.
• Pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol.
• Intimidating you through threatening looks or actions.
Insulting your parenting or threatening to harm or take away your children or pets.
• Intimidating you with weapons like guns, knives, bats, or mace.
• Destroying your belongings or your home.
That was a list of the signs. Here is a list of help.
• In the case of an immediate emergency call 911.
• Otherwise, to make a report to Skagway Police Department, call 1-907-983-2232.
• Protective Orders are available through the Court. 907-983-2368 (Haines) https:// courts.alaska.gov/shc/dv/index.htm
• www.betterhelp.com
Board of Directors for Good Neighbor Volunteers dba The Kitchen Sink Thrift Shop from leftKerri Raia, Jessie Baker, Jan Tronrud, Virginia Long, Kira Lathrop, Julene Brown and Laura Mabee (not picture India Brie Tracy.)
Photos by Kortney Rupprecht
Photo journey of the season
Panther Notices
Lost and Found
Community Corner
Kids making place-based connection through writing Skagway School’s fourth and fifth grade classes explore life in Skagway with interviews and experiences in their home town in this new Community Corner series.
by
Storytelling through film
Written by Danielle McManus
Fourth grade Skagway School teacher
Each summer, kids gear up for summer camp, but this year I was on my way to film camp in Homer, Alaska, where I spent a week connecting with the land and being empowered and supported by 28 Alaskan educators. We all signed up for a workshop in digital storytelling with a nonprofit called SeeStories, and we would earn six credits in Culturally Responsive Teaching and Alaska Studies.
Each morning started by sharing a healthy meal and heading next door to our cozy classroom yurt for morning circle time. We started with a 20-minute, solo nature walk with a question that would lead us each on an exploration of self and place and ending with reflection. The other parts of the day were cultural lessons and diving into the filmmaking process using our previously collected interviews, photos and videos. After full days of connecting to self, place, each other and filmmaking, we would go on field trips or tell stories by the fire. None of us fully knew what to expect, but we left camp with a feeling of connectedness and a greater appreciation for each other and the world around us.
Each school year starts a little differently in my fourth grade classroom as I am always thinking of new ways to make learning fun, relevant and meaningful. This year, my goal was to support and empower my students in using their voices to make films sharing their own and their classmates’ stories about Skagway’s geography, histories or culture. The fourth grade students completed two short films using ClipChamp on the topics Skagway’s Geography and Skagway’s History. They learned how to upload and edit images, videos and they learned how to add text, transitions, credits and audio. When asked what part of filmmaking they liked the best, I got a variety of answers from editing to music to figuring out how to write a script and match it with images.
“I liked rewatching it because you get that feeling of joy and you see how well it turned out and you feel so happy.” Iris said, “I like how the different films made me feel based on its music or the tone of the narrator’s voice,” Fourth grade student, Hadlea, exclaimed.
Each student ran into challenges along the way in the editing, writing and recording process, but having a finished product in the end made it all worth it.
Brixton’s hardest part was, “Stopping.”
“It’s hard to stop making it even though I struggled.”
Mila feels, “really really really 100% proud. I want to share this film with my family who live out of town. I think they’ll be very proud too.”
None of us fully knew what to expect, but we finished with feelings of gratitude and accomplishment. The fourth grade students are excited to share their films with their friends, family and community. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Use this QR code to watch student made films about Skagway’s geography!
Use this QR code to watch Women of Skagway, a mini film series featuring Denise Caposey who speaks about Charlotte Jewell and Jan Wrentmore, Charity Pomeroy and Meredith Schmidt celebrating Skagway’s women of the past and present, and Gretchen Wehmhoff, the woman who shares Skagway’s stories, preserves our voices and documents our town’s history.
Fourth grade student, James Reddick, works on his film and uses Tlingit place names within it.
Photo
Danielle McManus
A Summer of Seniors
Special to The News
It was an exciting summer for local seniors as the Recreation Center launched its new Senior Activities Program under new Senior Activities Coordinator, Aaron Thompson. In preparation for the first social on May 7, rec center staff began changing the look and layout of the Multi-Purpose Room. Adding comfortable couches, lift-assist recliners and a fresh coat of paint transformed the space into a cozy, communal lounge that now sees use from patrons of all ages. Senior socials at this casual environment with coffee and snacks quickly became a hub for games of cribbage and dominoes while sharing stories of Skagway over the decades.
In addition to socials, the senior program also planned excursions around town and eventually up the Klondike Highway’s pass. Participants were able to get out and about to experience more of what the place they call home has to offer. Thanks to the community’s generous discounts and donations, the seniors learned about aeroponic farming over lunch at the Skagway Brewing Company, rode to the summit on the White Pass & Yukon Route train, floated down the Skagway River with Skagway Float Tours, enjoyed a performance of the Day’s of 98 Show featuring their own senior coordinator on the piano, tore through Dyea on a dog sled with Alaska X, dined in style at the Holland America Skagway Inn’s Chilkoot dining room, and explored the pass on a trip to the Yukon Suspension Bridge with Klondike Tours. Thanks to all of these businesses for supporting senior programs this summer and to The Skagway News for giving us the opportunity to share this story with its readership free of charge!
The Recreation Center has also started hosting events for seniors at the facility with an end of summer lawn party on August 16 and plans for smores and scary stories by the campfire on Oct. 19. Senior programs offered 10 outings this summer and engaged a total of 103 participants. A special thanks to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for generously donating to Skagway’s seniors and allowing us to offer our socials and excursions without requiring the purchase of a membership.
A beautiful view on a day with Alaska X. You know, the kind of bright day you gotta wear shades.
Photos provided by Aaron Thompson
Stress, other risk factors associated with poorer health among Alaska adults, Departmet of Health report says
By Yereth Rosen Alaskabeacon.com
Alaska adults coping with stress, isolation, housing insecurity or other social or economic problems were much more likely to be in poor health than those who do not face such risks, said a new report issued by the state Department of Health.
The findings, from surveys done in 2022 through a survey known as the Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, were summarized in a two-page report published by the department at the end of September. The surveillance system is a collaboration between the state
and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It uses annual telephone surveys to gather information about health and behaviors that might affect it, such as nutrition, exercise and tobacco and alcohol use.
The report identifies 10 social risk factors. In order of prevalence among surveyed Alaskans, they are: stress, social isolation, lack of social and emotional support, food insecurity, housing insecurity, loss or reduction of employment, unmet medical need due to cost, reliance on food stamps, lack of reliable
transportation, lack of health insurance coverage, utility insecurity and general life dissatisfaction.
The majority of survey respondents said they had either none of those social risk factors or only one in their lives, the report said. But nearly 20% reported facing four or more of the identified risk factors.
Of those with four or more risk factors, 38% reported that their health was poor or only fair. That was nearly five times the rate of poor or fair health reported by respondents who said they face no social risk factors.
Northern and Western
Alaska were the regions with the highest percentage of survey respondents reporting four or more risk factors, while the Gulf Coast was the region with the lowest such percentage, the report said.
The Gulf Coast includes the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, Prince William Sound and the Copper River valley.
The system’s data collection might be missing the most vulnerable Alaska adults, so the percentages of people with multiple risk factors may be understated, the report said.
Follow-up work will provide more analysis and some guidance for health promo-
tion strategies, the report said.
“Public health efforts in Alaska should consider multi-level programs, policies, diverse partnerships, and discussions that address both the root causes of health inequities and the upstream disparities in daily living conditions,” the report’s authors wrote. “Data presented also supports engagement with Alaska public health regions that experience a high prevalence of social risk factors.”
Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Grant increases museum access for Alaska Native artists and culture bearers
By Claire Stremple Alaskabeacon.com
Sarah Knudsen has been beading for long enough that she says she can recognize where the artist is from in Alaska just by looking at their beadwork.
“Gwich’in Athabascan beadwork is mostly flowers and stems. In the Southeast, the motif of their culture is that they have more Eagles and their clans. We don’t have plans up here,” she said.
Her grandmother taught her in the Gwich’in Athabascan tradition on the Porcupine River, beading on felt and tanned moose hide. That knowledge eventually led her to seek a grant aimed at welcoming Alaska Native artists and culture bearers in to the state’s museums, which allowed her to travel from her home in Fort Yukon, 8 miles north of the Arctic Circle, to the Alaska State Museum in Juneau in March.
There, she researched beaded moccasin styles and saw firsthand the changes in moccasin patterns, beadwork and materials since the early 1800s.
Knudson already had a background doing academic research on Athabascan trade routes and applied that knowledge to her study of different moccasin styles and materials from around the state, which she shared with museum researchers and curators.
“I learned a lot, and we
really had a good time exchanging information, and I would recommend it to anyone,” she said.
The Access to Alaska Native Collections grant is offered by Museum Alaska, a nonprofit that formed out of the Alaska Historical Society, and it allows Alaska Native artists and culture bearers to access museums and collections across the state.
The program will give away at least $18,000 with funding from the Cook Inlet Region, Inc, an Alaska Native regional corporation. The grant program has funded the travel of 17 artists since its inception last year.
It is part of a broader movement aimed at fostering Alaska Native cultural heritage and artistic sovereignty.
While countless Alaska Native belongings, art pieces and sacred objects are housed in Alaska’s state museums, the institutions have not always fostered strong bonds with the Indigenous community and many Alaska Native art works and objects were taken and displayed in museums without permission.
The grant recognizes that history and the need for improved relationships and is aimed at outreach to welcome Alaska Native artists into museum spaces.
Dixie Clough, Museum Alaska’s director, said the ultimate goal is to break down barriers and increase
awareness that museums are open to everyone and exist for people to come in and experience what they have to offer.
“It’s so expensive to travel in Alaska, and so that’s a huge barrier for artists, especially rural artists, to be able to visit these museums,” Clough said.
Past grantees like Knudson have traveled to museums statewide, including the State Museum and the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, the Anchorage Museum, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North, Ketchikan Museums, the Haines Sheldon Museum and the Cordova Historical Museum.
Clough said that museums are doing work to grapple with their roots in fields like anthropology and archaeology that have Eurocentric, colonial histories, and this grant is a form of outreach.
“For some people in Indigenous cultures, museum is almost a bad word, and it’s totally understandable why,” Clough said.
She said that after going through the first rounds of distributing grants, the feedback from museums and Alaska Native artists and culture bearers has been positive.
“The museums really enjoyed meeting new artists and building those connections that maybe will lead to more connections. And artists, just — there’s so many
Alaska Native collection items in museums that are so important to continuing their cultures. So there’s a lot of inspiration that happened on the artist side,” she said.
The grant is one piece of a broader movement called the Alaska Native Museum Sovereignty initiative whose goal is to increase opportunities for museums to work with Alaska Native people by providing access to collections and opportunities to build exhibits with them.
Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi, a Ninilchik tribal member based in Homer, helped conceive the effort while she worked for Cook Inlet Region Inc. and said she is inspired by what the grant does for the state.
“This program allows artists to have the opportunity to get the professional development and experience with researching collections, and then museums get the oppor-
tunity to learn directly from artists, so that collections records can be updated and inclusive of Alaska Native people’s perspectives and values,” she said.
Jackinsky-Sethi said that she hopes the grant effort can grow to allow Alaska Native people to connect with cultural materials that are out of state and even out of the country in the future.
“Right now feels like an especially good time to be doing that kind of work, with the changes that are happening around repatriation,” she said, referring to a broader reckoning among museums that some materials in their collections were taken from communities without consent.
“This project is just a great way to help Alaska Native people have the opportunity to reconnect with historical materials in an intimate and meaningful way,” she said.
Juneau’s Alaska State Museum is seen in the fall sun on Oct. 2, 2024. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
Sept. 19
• Ship security requested an officer to help with investigating and filing a report concerning an incident with crew.
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a found men’s wooden wedding band and a lost wallet with a native design.
• EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency twice.
• Fire department personnel responded to a downtown fire alarm. It was found to be false.
• EMS personnel transported a patient for a medevac.
Sept. 20
• A cruise ship passenger reported that they were in town on Sept. 10 and had purchased a necklace set, earrings and a pendant, and that the items were lost or stolen at some point that day before they got back on board.
• Police personnel assisted with a vehicle lockout.
• A caller reported there was a loose dog running around on 1stAvenue. The dog’s owner was located and advised.
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
• An alarm monitoring company called to report a downtown burglary alarm had been activated. An officer responded and discovered an open door had triggered the alarm.
Sept. 21
• A caller reported something had gotten into garbage bins in an alley near 12th and Main and trash was strewn about.
• Fire Department personnel responded to a fire alarm. It was found to be false and triggered by a culinary mishap.
• EMS personnel responded to two separate medical emergencies.
• A caller reported concern about an employee that may be in a domestic violence situation. An officer was advised and spoke to the individual.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a lost black clip wallet with a California ID inside.
• EMS personnel transported a patient for a medevac.
Sept. 22
• Lost and found reports were taken for a lost wallet and ID and a found Samsung phone.
• Dispatch assisted in contacting the on-duty provider.
• A caller reported there was an individual passed out on the ground at 5th and State with a second person who seemed extremely intoxicated. An officer responded and reported the pair got up and were now walking home.
• At 9:00 p.m. a caller reported they just spotted the single brown bear at 20th and State. An officer responded but could not locate the bear.
Sept. 23
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a lost women’s black travel bag with a shoulder strap.
• At 9:45 p.m., a report was received that the brown bear was trying to break into commercial dumpsters along the Klondike Highway. An officer responded but could
not locate the bear.
Sept. 24
• A caller reported the bear had gotten into employee housing trash near 21st and Alaska and there was garbage strewn through the alley and into nearby yards. An officer responded to contact the responsible party.
• The Klondike Highway was temporarily closed to retrieve the vehicle involved in the Sept. 9 single-car accident towards the top of the pass.
• A caller reported a neighbor was currently burning garbage that was creating toxic smoke and it was blowing into their house and causing breathing problems. No burn permit had been called in for the location, so an officer responded to speak to the individual who had moved on to burning a box of adult magazines. The individual extinguished the fire and was reminded to call in burns and of what items were allowed to be burned in household burn barrels.
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
Sept. 25
• A power outage triggered multiple fire alarms. They were all found to be false.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a found set of keys with a Cadillac key fob and a found Samsung smart watch.
• A caller reported a customer had just tried to use an ID that did not belong to them to purchase marijuana. An officer responded and investigated.
Sept. 26
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
• Robert West, 45, of Ohio was arrested for Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree and two counts of Violating the Conditions of Release.
Sept. 27
• 911 was pocket dialed once.
• Police personnel assisted with a vehicle lockout.
Sept. 28
• An outside alarm monitoring company called to report a triggered burglary alarm downtown. An officer responded to investigate.
• Dispatch assisted in contacting the on-duty provider three times.
• EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.
• A report was received there was a dead eagle at Seven Pastures. An officer responded and found a deceased juvenile bald eagle with a broken neck. The eagle was turned over to Alaska Fish and Game.
• A caller reported there was an individual with an offleash dog disturbing others at Shoreline Park. An officer was advised.
• A caller reported another individual was intoxicated and being bothersome towards them with threatening words. The caller then admitted they were also intoxicated and did not want an officer to respond as they felt it would escalate the situation. They were advised to call back if anything changed.
Sept. 29
• Dispatch assisted in contacting the on-duty provider.
• A caller reported there was an individual riding their bike while smoking a very strong-smelling marijuana cigarette. An officer was advised.
Sept. 30
• EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a found floral wallet with a Nevada ID and a lost purple iPhone.
• A caller reported there were people smoking a bong inside a parked car at the overlook. An officer responded and spoke with the individuals.
Oct. 1
• Around 7 a.m. a caller reported the bear had just gotten into trash put out for that morning’s pickup along their alley. An officer responded and discovered the bear had gotten into multiple trashes from 11th to 17th that morning.
• EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a found Chime visa card and a found Utah State food stamp card.
• A report was received of a neighbor’s trash put outside on garbage day after garbage pickup had occurred and it was still sitting there. An officer responded and had the responsible person bring their trash back inside since evening was approaching.
• A caller requested a welfare check on a friend. An officer responded and spoke with the party who reported they were fine.
• A noise complaint was received concerning a loud party that was outside with a bonfire and individuals were observed pouring gasoline on the fire. An officer responded and spoke with the individuals.
Oct. 2
• Fire Department personnel responded to a downtown fire alarm. It was found to be false.
• A report was received of a bike thrown into the river. A caller reported their child’s bike had been stolen and it may be the same bike.
• Lost and found reports were taken for a lost green wallet.
• EMS personnel transported a patient for a medevac. Oct. 3.
• At 2 a.m., a caller reported they heard noises consistent with a bear getting into trash outside their house near 11th and Main. An officer responded and confirmed the bear had gotten into trash left out in the area.
• At 8 a.m. a caller reported there was a dumpster near 6th and State that was overflowing with garbage. An officer contacted the company responsible.
• A caller reported sometime during the night the bear had gotten into a bin full of automotive items in the yard along Dyea Road.
• EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.
• A caller reported the bike found in the river the previous day was theirs. They were advised of its current location.
• A caller requested a welfare check on a neighbor whose dogs had been barking all day. An officer responded and attempted to contact them with no success. Another party reported they had spoken with the individual earlier in the day and they were fine.
Naloxone overdose kits (name brand NARCAN) have been placed around town to assist in an opioid emergency. They can be found at the following locations:
● AMHS Ferry Terminal
● Eagles F.O.E. Aerie #25
● Elks Lodge #431
● Grizzly’s General
● Skagway Recreation Center
● The Station
● U.S. Post Office
● Wells Fargo Bank
● Two kits are at the school
Emergency medical assistance is still necessary after administering naloxone.
Scholarships, grants & opportunities
The Skagway Public Library
Wifi is available outside the library 10am10pm..
Windy Valley Babies (Story Time) Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. - designed for ages 0-3. Sing and read stories with Ms. Anna! Music Saturdays. Come play around on our mandolin, ukulele, guitar, banjo or piano!
Late Night Library Select Friday nights at 6 p.m. Evenings include crafts, game nights, special guests and activities for young patrons in fifth grade and up!
U.S. Passports: Crystal Harris, our Library Assistant, is currently Skagway’s only passport acceptance agent. Applications are accepted by appointment only Tuesday through Friday. day. Please call to schedule. For more more information - 907-983-2665 or email library@skagway.org
Grants for Recreational Trails
The Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR) is accepting grant applications for the Recreational Trails Program for fiscal year 2025. Approximately $2.2 million is available for eligible Alaska projects. The Recreational Trails grant program provides up to 90% matching for the cost of a project.
Funding for the program comes from the Federal Highway Administration, which has awarded Alaska $22 million (requiring $6 million in matching funds) for 571 projects since 1993. Alaska’s available apportionment is typically between $1 million and $1.5 million each year.
Grant categories include motorized, non-motorized, and diversified (winter and summer) projects.
The maximum individual grant award amounts for FY2025:
$300,000 for Motorized/Motorized diversified projects
$200,000 for Non-motorized/ Non-motorized diversified projects
Applications are due by Oct. 31, 2024. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, educational institutions, State of Alaska, local and federal government entities, native corporations and tribal governments. Interested parties can register on IRIS. The grants will be awarded between March and May of 2025. More information is available here: http://dnr. alaska.gov/parks/grants/trails.htm.
Rasmuson Foundation is accepting applications for Tier 1 and Community Support grants, now with increased award sizes. These awards form a central part of Rasmuson Foundation’s grantmaking activities, supporting nonprofit organizations in Alaska with key resources and infusions of capital.
Tier 1 grants
Tier 1 is a core program of the Foundation, known for fast capital and one-time funding. In addition to a 40% increase in the maximum award size, the program now allows organizations to apply up to 15% of an award toward administrative costs. Tier 1 grants will pro-
vide up to $35,000 per project and the application period opens Aug. 15. This is a rolling grant program, and applications are accepted throughout the year.
Community Support grants fund capital projects and programmatic projects with broad community impact. The grants are intended for requests between $35,000 and $250,000. Capital requests will be approved quarterly, while non-capital/programmatic requests will be reviewed twice a year. Grants of this size do not require an invitation to apply, and organizations can access the application starting Aug. 15.
The Foundation anticipates awarding 150175 Tier 1 grants and 10-20 Community Support grants annually.
Program details, application tips, and frequently asked questions are also available at rasmuson.org.
Applications for Micro-Grants for Food Security are Now Open. Alaska Div. of Agriculture receives $2.6 million to fund The grant application period runs from Sept. 27 to Nov. 26, 2024 at 5pm.
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in the Request for Applications (also on the Micro-Grants for Food Security website). Funding is available in four categories:
Small-Scale Gardening Projects ($2,500)
Small-Scale Livestock, Poultry, Fencing, and Apiary Projects ($5,000)
Food Processing and Storage Projects ($5,000) Greenhouse Projects ($5,000)
More information on the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program is available through the Division of Agriculture. Applications must be submitted electronically via the SmartSimple application portal (https://akdivag.us-1.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp). Successful grantees will have one year to complete their projects. The Micro-Grants for Food Security website will include the most up-to-date timelines. Applicants who did not receive funding during previous grant cycles may reapply.
K-12 Furniture Giveaway.
KI announed its third annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, offering K-12 teachers the opportunity to transform their learning environments. Four winners will each be awarded up to $40,000 worth of KI furniture of their choosing to turn their dream space into a reality. This year, the giveaway is open to all types of learning environments, including classrooms, libraries, makerspaces, esports labs, art or music rooms and beyond. Three of these prizes will go to individual classrooms, while the fourth prize will fund a library or media center makeover.
More information at ki.com/giveaway Submissions open Oct. 1 - Oct. 25. The winners will be announced on Nov. 20.
Start planning for next year. Commit with 30% down by 12/15/2024 to take advantage of 2024 rates.
SERVICES
FOOD BANK DONATIONS WELCOME. Donations may be sent to the Food Bank, PO Box 200, Skagway, AK 99840. The local Food Bank helps those in need with groceries. If you need assistance, or know anyone who needs assistance, at any time of year, call any pastor.
Bid/RFP Status
Open - accepting bids and proposals
Bid/RFP Due Date Thu, 11/21/2024 - 1:00 PM
REQUEST FOR BIDS
10/4/2024
The Municipality of Skagway is accepting bids for the Temporary Fender Modification Project.
The WORK covered in the Contract Documents generally includes: The installation of two steel guide piles and a steel fender pile and modifications to an existing mooring dolphin. All work must conform to the requirements provided in the bid documents.
1. BASE BID
Components of the WORK include:
A. Base Bid: The Work includes the following:
• Extraction and disposal of creosote treated timber piles and installation two steel piles at a single mooring dolphin.
Solid Waste Facility Hours T, Th, Sa, Su. 1 - 3 p.m. Skagway Museum 907-983-2420
Border stations: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. Call each station for specifics.
Ferry Terminal Hours Daily 8:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. Earlier when there is an early ferry Skagway Rec Center https://skagwayrecreation.org 907-983-2679
SKAGWAY WORSHIP DIRECTORY
Assembly of God Church 8th & State • 907-983-2350 Sun. Worship....................11 a.m. Wed. Bible Devotions & Prayer 7 p.m. Email skagwayag@outlook.com
First Presbyterian Church 5th & Main • 983-2260 Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. Seafood Socials 5:30 p.m. Wed.. Bible Study 6:30 p.m. Tues. Online access available
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 11th & State • 983-2518 Sun. Sacrament Meeting...10 a.m.
St. Therese Catholic Church 9th & State • 983-2271 Sun. Mass..........4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Mass Mon. & Tues.....12:10 p.m. (when a priest is available)
• Installation of a salvaged fender panel procured by MOS.
Bids shall include all labor, equipment, transportation, and materials to complete the specified work. Bids shall also include mobilization and demobilization to and from the Project site. Alaska Labor Standards, reporting and prevailing wage rate determination is made part of this bid package. A notice of award will be sent to the Alaska Department of Labor - Wage and Hour Section. The State will require that certified payroll forms are completed, and the State has the right to randomly audit the successful bidders company to ensure Davis Bacon Wages are being paid for this project. A full copy of the Request for Bids can be obtained by calling Skagway Municipal Offices at 907983-2297, or by e-mailing Skagway.Bid@kpff.com. Technical questions regarding this project must be directed in writing to Skagway.Bid@kpff.com and contracts@skagway.org.
